Archive for April, 2007

SHEOHAR: Nearly 200 Naxalites raided the construction site of a river overbridge in Bihar’s Sheohar district exploding bombs, opening fire and setting ablaze a few huts of labourers, police said on Monday.

They also damaged some machines, including a generator set, fired in air and exploded crude bombs to terrorise the labourers whom they warned against joining work.

The Naxalites had pasted posters near the place of occurrence a week ago directing the contractor of the Bihar State Bridge Construction Corporation Limited to meet the representatives of the banned outfit.

Pandey, who is camping at Dubba Ghat along with superintendent of police Ajay Kumar Mishra to supervise raids to apprehend the culprits, said the Naxalites wanted to extort a levy from the contractor for allowing the work to proceed smoothly.

No arrests have been made so far.

The incident follows March 31 attack on a bank, block office and police station at Riga in adjoining Sitamarhi district. Though the attack was repulsed, a jawan of the special auxiliary police (SAP) was killed in the encounter.

It was in August 2001 that the idea of establishing a Com-pact Revolutionary Zone (CRZ), from the forest tracts of Adilabad (Andhra Pradesh) to Nepal, traversing the forest areas of Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Bihar, was conceptualized at Siliguri in a high-level meeting of the Maoist leaders from India and Nepal.

Th primary aim of CRZ is to facilitate the easy movement of extremists from one area in the proposed zone to another. The concept of CRZ was essentially seen as a prologue to the further expansion of Left-wing extremism in the subcontinent. Looked from this angle, the notion of CRZ seems to be moving in the right direction, for, there has been a remarkable Maoist growth between 2001 and 2007 in both India and Nepal.

As of now, while the Communist Party of Nepal- Maoist (CPN-M) has joined the interim Government of Nepal, their Maoist counterparts in India have carved out several guerilla zones in different parts of the country.

What was once a utopian concept, the idea and reality of CRZ in India has indeed made big strides. While the Maoists were busy executing their mega plan of CRZ, the economic policy of India marked a dramatic shift with the Government of India announcing the setting up of Special Economic Zones (SEZs) in its Export-Import Policy 2000

As per the SEZ Act 2005, SEZs are geographical regions that have different economic laws to the rest of the country to facilitate increased investments and economic activity. The politics engulfing the whole issue of SEZs has definitely acquired a Maoist flavor, as can be clearly ascertained from the happenings of Kalinga Nagar, Singur and Nandigram. Recent happenings on the SEZs front shows that the idea of SEZs, which was originally formulated as a development strategy, has now become a rallying cry for Left-wing extremism. Couple of months back, during their ninth unity congress, the top ranking Maoist leadership from 16 Indian states decided to launch violent attacks on SEZs and projects that displace people.

The Annual Report of the “Central Military Commission” of the Communist Party of India- Maoist (CPI-Maoist) outlines the Naxal plan of creating disruptions at several proposed infrastructure and mining projects and steel plants.

The potential Naxal targets as mentioned in the report are the bauxite mining project of the Jindals in Visakhapatnam, the Polavaram irrigation project, steel plants proposed in Chhattisgarh by Tata, Essar and Jindal, the Center’s proposed railway line on the Rajhara-Raighat-Jagdalpur sector, Posco’s steel plants under construction in Orissa, power plants proposed by the Ambanis, a proposed steel plant in Jharkhand by the Mittal Group and the Kosi irrigation project in northern Bihar. The Naxal concept of CRZ and their brand of politics over the issue of SEZs is something which needs to be taken seriously.

Th Naxal intentions are clear; they want to use SEZs as the most powerful weapon for the complete realization of CRZ. The link between the Naxal concept of CRZ and the new development mantra of SEZs is no coincident. The Naxals have grown stronger in the tribal districts of Chhattisgarh, Orissa, Jharkhand, Karnataka and Maharashtra, which attracts US$85 billion of promised investments, mostly in steel and iron plants, and mining projects.

Ironically, all these investments and projects are of no benefit to the locals, and in most of the cases, in the absence of a credible ‘Rehabilitation and Resettlement’ (R&R) policy, the locals are forced to loose their lands which are crucial for their survival. The Naxals have been quick to realize this and reflect it in their agenda. After the sad happenings of Nandigram, the Union Government was forced to take stock of the issues related to SEZs.

Recently, after including a few changes in the SEZ Act, the Central Government’s Empowered Group of Ministers on SEZs approved 83 new proposals in addition to the already notified 63 projects. The head of the government has already declared that SEZs is a reality. SEZs in itself is not a bad idea, but the problem lies with its poor implementation. ‘Rehabilitation and Resettlement’ holds the key to the successful realization of SEZs in India.

Government need to show that SEZs as a development strategy would result in equitable distribution of its gains. There is no denying that India is growing but certain sections are being continuously denied a share in this growth. Except for symbolic tokenism, such as the Employment Guarantee Scheme, the fundamentals of delivery are missing from most of the plans and projects.

It is this tokenism that has given an opportunity to the Naxals to hijack the issue of SEZs in their favor. Today, the Naxals have realized that the Spring Thunder of 1968 failed to give the desired results owing to wide differences in Indian and Chinese conditions.

Accordingly, they have reformulated their premises of Maoism. Unfortunately, the government is taking too long to realize that though its SEZs policy is based on the Chinese model, its success would depend a lot on its application to Indian conditions.

Nagwa village, Sonebhadra (UP), Apr 30: Naxals have called for a boycott of polls in parts of Utter predesh, as the State gears for the last two of the seven phases of Assembly elections in the State.

With 52 assembly constituencies heading for the sixth phase polling on May 3, police and local administration are on their tenterhooks, as it would include three Districts of Sonebhadra, Mirzapur and Chandauli, which have considerable axal influence.

The poll boycott call has been issued by releasing pamphlets that ask villagers to vote for particular candidates or not to vote altogether.

Naxals with double barrel country made guns slung on their shoulders can be sighted moving in groups in areas under their domination. For them the heightened security during the run up to the polls has meant little more than a mere curtailment of movement.

The Naxals know when to prowl and send the message across.

“These elections are taking place since the last 58 years. But what have we gained from it.

These elections are meant for capitalists and their goons. The rights of the common people are being overlooked.

None of the democratic parties are bothered about the common man then why should we be concerned about it.

We want elections that are meant for the common people and would work for them,” Rakesh, a Naxal activist with an assumed name, said somewhere in a remote area in Nagwa village of Sonebhadra District.

As police and paramilitary contingents have stepped up patrolling, officials said they would ensure free and fair poll.

“The Election Commission has come out with a special deployment plan for the Naxal-affected areas. It is different from other areas.

It is a special deployment plan which will try to make sure that the Naxals do not affect the polls and that people can vote without fear,” said R.P. Singh, Deputy Inspector General, Varanasi range.

The present election in Uttar Pradesh has been notably different from previous polls when booth capturing incidents and rigging elections were commonplace and the Election Commission was compelled to hold several rounds of re-polling.

The seventh and final phase of poll will be on May 8 and counting will take place on May 11 with most of the results expected the same day.

Kundapur, Apr 30: Chief minister H D Kumaraswamy who a few days ago had said that he would stay in a Naxal-affected village, had to eat his words when he had to cancel his visit to Kamalashile Temple owing to an alleged threat from Naxalites on Sunday April 30.

He was supposed participate in the Chatush Pavitra Nagamandalotsava of Kamalashile Temple on Sunday evening. The entire area had been decked up specially to welcome the chief minister who was making his first visit to the place. Being a Naxal-affected place, even security had been beefed up.

On the other hand JD (S) party and chief minister’s fans too had raised huge cut-outs of chief minister. Attractive welcome arches were erected in the vicinity. But all went in vain as chief minister had to cancel his visit at the eleventh hour owing to Naxal threat. With this his much-publicized stay in Naxal-affected area had drawn flak from all quarters.

HAZARIBAG: Following a tip-off on Friday night, a Hazaribag police team headed by Barhi SDPO Saryu Paswan and inspector of Barhi circle Girish Pandey on a tipconducted raids in forests by the side of river Kahudag on borders of Gaya and Chouparan police stations of the district.

The police have seized two rifles and around 80 rounds of ammunition of which 48 are SLR and the rest 315 are bore for rifles, said the Hazaribag SP, Praveen Kumar Singh, while addressing a press conference here on Saturday.

Giving details of the raids, the SP said, on a tip-off that a about 25 armed Naxalites led by a sub-zonal commander had entered Chouparan from Fatehpur side of Bihar for attacking some villages, a police party rushed to the forest area.

On seeing the police, the Maoists opened fire which was returned by the police.

The encounter between the Naxalites and the police continued for more than half an hour, during which more than 60 rounds were fired from both the side. But with the break of dawn, the Naxalites managed to escape, said the SP.

Immediately after this, the police conducted a search and found arms and ammunitions, which were seized. One of the rifles had “Jehanabd” inscribed on it, indicating a weapon looted during Jehanabad jail break.

Varanasi, Apr 29: Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil has said that the terrorist activities in Jammu and Kashmir and the North-East have reduced significantly under the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government.

“Terrorist incidents in Jammu and Kashmir and the North East has dipped significantly by 40 percent during the UPA regime,” Patil said.

This, he said, was suggested in the reports of various committees and sub-committees on terrorism in the Valley. These reports were tabled at the Round Table Conference on Jammu and Kashmir held in New Delhi recently chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, he added.

Patil further said that the Congress-led UPA government was not at all soft on terror but was tackling it with a balanced approach.

”While we are dealing sternly with terrorists killing innocents, we are also ushering development for the terror-torn province. Funds amounting to Rs 26,000 crore have been pumped in the State,” he claimed.

While, Naxal problem in Andhra Pradesh has declined by almost 60 percent, the menace has shot up by the same percentage in both Jharkhand and Chattisgarh, he added.

Patil urged the media to refrain from reporting smalls incidents to suggest that terrorism was on the rise.

Officials confirm that One killed, two injured in clashes at Nandigram between supporters of ruling CPI-M and Bhumi Ucched Pratirodh Committee (BUPC), spearheading the movement against land acquisition, today. TV live telecast puts the death toll three at least! Media censorship is on. And you have to depend on official sources in War Zone!

The trouble started, according to villagers here, early in the morning when about 200 CPI-M activists began to fire bullets and throw bombs from the Khejuri side of Talpati canal at Satangabari, Bahargunge area in Nandigram block-II and at Simulkhanda in Nandigram block- I. The villagers under attack fled their homes fearing “lethal” assault by CPI-M cadres.Supporters of the BUPC regrouped around 10-30 a.m to confront CPI-M cadres who had already advanced into the villages at Nandigram. The battle continued for over four hours after which CPI-M cadres retreated.

The CPI-M claimed two of their supporters succumbed to bullet injuries. They were identified as Dilip Mondal (19), a resident of Gokulnagar, and Mahitosh Karan (42), a resident of Jambari. Two other injured CPI-M supporters, Pintu Mondal and Nitai Mondal, have been admitted to Kamarda block hospital in Khejuri. On the other hand, BUPC leaders claimed that four villagers belonging to their organisation sustained bullet injuries and were admitted to Nandigram block hospital. One of them, Prakash Das, was later shifted to Tamluk Sadar hospital in a critical condition.

One person was shot dead and two others received bullet injuries during the clashes between CPI-M supporters and BUPC at Nandigram block-II, IGP (law and order) Raj Kanojia told PTI in Kolkata. He said that tension prevailed in the area following the clashes. The injured were rushed to hospital.

Local police said that bombs were hurled and gunshots exchanged between CPI(M) and BUPC activists as clashes continued for the third consecutive day today at Nandigram. They said that trouble began this morning when about 100-200 people from Khejuri tried to enter Nandigram in batches. Gunshots were also heard from Bhangabera, Satingabari, Adhikaripara and Shimulkundu areas in Nandigram, the police said.

Trinamool Congress MLA Sisir Adhikari alleged that the CPI-M cadres were attacking people at Nandigram from Khejuri and creating a reign of terror.

I have warned you already two days back, another genocide in Nandigram is feared! Memories of other days haunt the present while the present heralds the cold horror in future!

Live AND PROLONGED telecast of Mamtas`s press conference was a Hint only! The violence continued unabated despite Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee’s statement that the proposed chemical hub would not be located at Nandigram. As it was clearcut indication and I warned you, CPI-M claimed in a press statement that at least 50-60 armed TC activists raided Baharganj and Jambari villages in Khejuri, Nandigram-1 and Nandigram-2 blocks. The party alleged that a ”provocative” speech by Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee on April 25 at Garchakraberia had encouraged her party’s supporters to launch attacks against CPI-M cadre at Nandigram.

Don`t you understand the game plan?

A concerned West Bengal Governor G K Gandhi today said he was keeping a close watch on the situation and discussed the matter with Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee. ”I have discussed the Nandigram development with Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and I am keeping a close watch on the situation,” a Raj Bhavan communique said quoting the Governor today.

This was the second statement by the Governor after the March 14 police firing at Nandigram in which 14 people were killed and scores of others injured.

Trinamool Congress Chief Mamata Banerjee on Sunday said that a National Democratic Alliance (NDA) delegation will inform President Dr A P J Abdul Kalam on the issue soon. “Our MP Dinesh Tribedi will lead an NDA delegation to President A P J Abdul Kalam shortly to inform him about the happenings in Nandigram,” she said. Banerjee said that the party has already sought Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh’s intervention to stop the violence.

“We have already informed the Prime Minister’s Office about the situation in Nandigram and sought his intervention to stop the unabated violence there,” Banerjee told reporters here.She further said that the party will organise an hour long ‘rasta roko’ (road blockade) in West Bengal on Monday from 11am to 12 noon.

She also appealed to all parties except the ruling CPI-M to take to the streets to demand the restoration of peace in Nandigram.Banerjee has also announced a series of programmes, including a gherao of all police stations in the State on May 2 and meetings across the State to condemn the violence.

She alleged that the Government was itself “sponsoring violence” in Nandigram.She said this in reply when asked as to why Trinamool Congress or its allies were not participating in all-party meetings called by the East Midnapore District administration to restore peace in Nandigram. Banerjee also question as to why violence was continuing in Nandigram if a chemical hub was not to be set up there.

Forward Bloc state general secretary Ashok Ghose said intervention by a third party was needed to bring the recalcitrant opposition and ruling parties on the negotiating table in view of an all-party meeting failing to take place repeatedly. ”A piquant situation has developed which can be resolved only by the intervention of a third force,” Ghose said.

Buddhadev bhattacharya and his party concentrated on Nandigram long before. Taming the resistance is a specialised mechanism of the forces in power. Marxists of Bengal learnt the art very well during Comrade Jyoti Basu`s tenure as Chief Minister of Bengal, during starngulation of the Thundering Spring in seventies and amidst the merciless massacre of Dalit Refugees in Marichjhapi. We have latest examples of Keshpur, Nanur and Chhota angaria!

In the seventies, the Congress Party of India crushed the Maoist rebellion in West Bengal. Educated middle class youths were killed in scores. Those days they were known as Naxals. In a pitched battle in Jadavpur University Hostel of Kolkata, the Army finally had to bring in armor to win. During that time the main weapon Congress Party used was propaganda and media based lies.

Once again it is WAR in Nandigarm! This time it is neither Army nor the Police, it is the Marxist Gestapo which is involved in Genocide and ethenic cleansing!

Once again Bengal image is flashed as a Killing Field! Newsbreaks continue to tell you Death Toll and it follows with Horror and more Horror stories. Left may not afford to bear a Free Zone in the RED fort! Scietific rigging machinery may work only in a Capitive geopolitics, mind you.

Meanwhile Buddha had meetings in Haldia with Laxman Seth, the MP and mastermind of Nandigram Genoside! It was a green signal for the Gestapo to go for action!

Come Hunting Time!Buddha and his Gestapo go for Hunting in Nandigram!

Halida is the ultimate destination of DOW`s and Salim`s chemical hub! Buddhadev has told this so many times. So Manmohan Singh, the Comrador Salve of US Imperialism and MNCs has justified so many times. The ruling class in India is nothing better than Slaves! It damn cares for Vote Bank as it may be managed with established Cadre Base and so called spritual Brahminical ideologies, pet media and intellegentsia! US interests are their interests. They may kill anyone to defend the rotten system of supremacy. Underprevileged Rural India should be annihilated mercilessly, this is the law of Post Modern Manusmriti enacted by Global Government and the Comaradors in colonies dare not to violet!

Where from you get the land for SEZ to import Hiroshima, Nagasaki and Vietnam, Iraq and Afganistan? How do you escalate Bhopal Gas Tragedy?

Based on the new, improved, growth projections, India’s economy will be even bigger than that of the US before 2050 (in the first one, India’s 2050 GDP would have been 80 per cent that of the US). The new report does not report the per capita income number (this would be influenced by inflation resulting from a higher GDP growth) but in the first report, in 2050, India would still have a per capita income, which is only a fifth that of the US.

Capitalist Marxist way of indiscriminate Industialisation and Urbanisation is not limited in Bengali Geopolitics at all as based on the new, improved, growth projections, India’s economy will be even bigger than that of the US before 2050 (in the first one, India’s 2050 GDP would have been 80 per cent that of the US). The new report does not report the per capita income number (this would be influenced by inflation resulting from a higher GDP growth) but in the first report, in 2050, India would still have a per capita income, which is only a fifth that of the US.Thus, the crux of the projections is the productivity surge that India will get due to the “demographic dividend” and the “urbanisation bonus” – essentially a higher educated younger population, increasingly living in urban areas, would be far more productive than the less educated and largely rural population of the past.The country’s international trade has boomed (the trade-to-GDP ratio rose from 13 per cent in 1990 to around 31 per cent in 2005) while tariffs fell from 48 per cent to around 10; access to finance has increased dramatically and domestic credit-to-GDP rose from 27 per cent in 1991 to around 43 per cent of GDP in 2005; IT expenditure is up to around 6 per cent of GDP from 3.5 per cent in 2001; India had 23 cities with a population of over a million in 1991 and this rose to 35 a decade later (by 2020, another 140 million rural dwellers will move to urban areas, according to Goldman Sachs projections); the list goes on.

Americanisation is the only agenda of the Hindu Zionist Comrador ruling classes in India!

After Tatas , now it is Mahindra! Mahindra has to get a SEZ in Haldia for motor factory.Mukesh Ambani is lobbying in New delhi to woo the Kulin Brahmin Pranab Mukherjee to capture Retail Market in Rural Bengal as he has got a chemistry with Buddha despite contradictions in the ruling left front and objections expressed by nonogeneration patriarch Basu!

Under the Centre’s industrial package, industries setting up shop in states including Uttarakhand before March 31, 2010 would enjoy exemption from excise duty, besides income tax holiday up to March 31, 2013. West Bengal has started making noise about concessions extended to select states to promote industrialisation, saying such sops affected its own ability to attract huge private investments.

Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, addressing a CPI-M rally in Barasat on Saturday, said he had talked to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh about the industrial package extended to hilly states, particularly Uttarakhand, which is trying to wean away Tata Motors from Singur by promising tax holidays.

Bhattacharjee said Uttarakhand has reportedly informed Tata Motors that the company would accrue benefits to the tune of Rs 18,000 crore over a period of time if it relocated its small-car plant to the hilly state.

Talking of industry, Bhattacharjee said investment proposals worth Rs 78,000 crore had been received by his government during 2006-07, compared to Rs 32,000 crore in 2005-06.

The investment proposals included a steel-making factory at Salboni worth Rs 35,000 crore and another at Purulia worth Rs 11,000 crore, he said. The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) activists on Saturday clashed with an anti-land acquisition group here.The groups threw bombs and fired in Nandigram’s Tulaghata area.The clashes have been continuing since Friday.

Trinamool Congress-backed Bhumi Ucched Pratirodh Committee (BUPC) clashed with CPI (M) activists at Bhangaberia area on Friday.No casualty has been reported during the two days of clashes.Meanwhile, CPI MLA SK Ilias Mohammed, who was allegedly assaulted by Trinamool Congress supporters on Friday, led a rally to protest against it. Mohammed has lodged an FIR on the incident.

Trinamool Congress Chief Mamata Banerjee has been opposing the acquisition of farmland for industries in the State.

On March 14, at least 14 people were killed in police firing at Nandigram in east Midnapore District.

The ruling Left eventually shelved plans for an industrial park at Nandigram that was to have been built with the help of Indonesia’s Salim Group.

Soon after the stay on the Nandigram project, Bhattacharjee had affirmed commitment to continue the project at another location in the State.

Echoing Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee’s allegation about the Centre’s inaction in dealing with the situation in Nandigram, the Congress on Saturday said the UPA government should have been “more active” on this issue. Congress’ stand came at a time when it is under attack from the followers of Union Minister P R Dasmunsi that the state unit of the party had failed to take up any movement on the Nandigram issue and not participated in any protest against the acquisition of farm land for industry. Senior party leader Subrata Mukhrjee, a Dasmunsi loyalist, has claimed that the Trinamool Congress is ahead in the movement on Nandigram “due to failure of the PCC”.

“The Centre should have been more active on the question of law and order in Nandigram, though it is a state subject, by exploring legal and constitutional aspects,” State Congress Working Committee President Pradip Bhattacharya said.

He said a party delegation will soon meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress President Sonia Gandhi and also seek an appointment with President A P J Abdul Kalam to apprise them of the “explosive situation” created in Nandigram by efforts to acquire land for industries.

“The state unit of Congress will appeal to the Centre to find a way to resolve the Nandigram crisis,” he said. Expressing concern at recurring violence perpetrated allegedly by the CPI-M, Bhattacharya said if the situation was allowed to drift further, “it may go beyond control and the state government will be solely responsible for it”.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Central secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) (CPI-ML) K.N. Ramachandran has said that his party will launch intense agitations against the proposed `Smart City’ project in Ernakulam and all other Special Economic Zone (SEZ) projects in the State. Talking to The Hindu here on Friday, Mr Ramachandran said in the media euphoria that was being created in the name of `successful completion’ of the Smart City negotiations, the State Government was cleverly concealing the fact that the project area would be declared as SEZ. It was now well known that as per the SEZ Act of 2005, any region declared as a SEZ would be like a `foreign country’ within the country. Most of the laws of the land were not applicable to such regions. They would work as per the wishes of the profit-making multi-national companies, Mr Ramachandran alleged .Trade union rights

When his attention was drawn to the reported statement of Labour Minister P.K. Gurudasan that the Government would insist on trade union rights within the SEZ, the CPI(ML) leader said these were `irresponsible statements’ being made by the mainstream Left Democratic Front (LDF) leaders in order to cover up their betrayal of the commitment to the people.

The SEZ Act was a Central legislation and no amendment had been made to it so far. Then how could the State Government deviate from it? he asked.

The LDF Government took a similar position in the controversies regarding the Asian Development Bank (ADB) loan. They had then argued that they would not accept several conditions of the ADB. But the conditions of the ADB were the same for all the States, he said.

The newly-elected State secretary of the CPI(ML) P.J. James said the party supporters would take out a march to the spot where the proposed Smart City area would come up, within a couple of days. The party cadres would also physically remove the meters on public taps if the Government took such a step as per the dictates of the ADB.

Surrendering to ADB

The CPI(ML) leaders said surrendering to the dictates of the ADB and giving sanction to the projects like SEZ and Smart City, the LDF Government led by V.S. Achuthanandan established that it was moving in a direction totally opposed to the approaches of the first Communist Government in Kerala in 1957

So this Government had no moral or political right to celebrate the 50th year of the first Communist Ministry, they said.They said the party would also launch agitations for the release of prisoners who had completed 14 years of imprisonment

Malkangiri • At least two people died and four others were injured in a gunbattle between Maoist rebels and a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) team in south Orissa’s Malkangiri district yesterday afternoon, police said.

The incident took place at the weekly market of MV 79 village, 70 km from the district headquarters of Malkangiri and some 700km from state capital Bhubaneswar, in the afternoon, sub-divisional police officer Satyabrata Bhoi said. The armed CRPF jawans had gone to market on duty as part of the security measures.A group of Maoists fired at a person who had come to themarket. When the man fell on the ground, the CRPF team rushed to the spot and retaliated, he said. A Maoist and a CRPF personnel were killed in the gun battle, Bhoi said.Local police also rushed to the spot and joined the CRPF team in the operation. One AK-47rifle was seized from the slain rebel. A woman Maoist was also arrested from the spot, he said. At least four people including three CRPF personnel and a villager sustained injuries in the shootout. They were rushed to the nearest hospital for treatment.

Additional police forces were moved to the area to nab the Maoists who later fled to a nearby jungle, the official said.